The Salesman (2016)

Waste of time

Too much of everything

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The 2017 best foreign language Oscar went to this staggering indictment of physical slight & the enveloping revenge which consumes an Iranian couple. A theatrical adaptation of Death of a Salesman is being put on by an Iranian acting troupe when a married couple, involved in the affair, need to move to a new apartment. Once in their new place an incident occurs, due to confusion on the attacker's part sending the husband on a trail of disappointment, resentment & impotence to regain face & bring honor back to his family.

This realistic movie is one of the best films that show the truth of Iran society.

This film made waves at the Academy Awards (not just for the Academy boycott). I've been meaning to check it out at some point, and finally had the opportunity to watch it on an airplane during a flight. I've heard of A Separation but never watched it. Going in pretty blind into this film, I was very pleased with the end product. I read Death of a Salesman in high school and was able to spot some parallels.The film is about a husband and wife who work in theatre (on a production of Death of a Salesman). One night their apartment starts collapsing so they move into a new apartment. Soon the wife gets attacked in the shower while waiting for her husband. The husband becomes consumed with finding out who attacked his wife and attempts to pursue the culprit even as relationships around him start falling apart.A lot of people didn't find this to be as good as A Separation, or so I've heard. I thought the script for the film was quite sharp. Like Billy Loman in Death of a Salesman , Emad's relationship is on the rocks. He must also try to avoid the humiliation of what occurred within his family and must wrong the right. While the film is a bit of a slow burn on finding out who committed the act, the clues leading up to the reveal and the ride is very fun to be a part of.I found the last 30 minutes or so of the film to be powerful and it also helps to ascend the film to a higher rating. Its gripping and hard to keep your eyes off of what happens next. Its suspenseful but yet innocuous You know there's no immediate danger to the lead but wow its a joy to watch what transpires. I will have to eventually check out A Separation, especially if its more acclaimed than this.8/10

As with other Asghar Farhadi movies, this movies is an authentic window into real life. You can empathize with every character. Every line of dialog is realistic. The acting is superb. The twists of the story are not forced, rather fit organically with the story and how the characters think and receive information. The subject matter makes it hard not to vilify the antagonist but Farhadi manages to do so by shedding light on their layered character and motives. Just as in real life, the people who do evil are not pure evil themselves.The realistic portrayal of the movie also makes watching the movie a self-exploration journey. You can't help but put yourself into the shoes of the characters and think what you would have done differently.